I was visiting a friend a college and we were bored and it was a nice day, so we spent the day finding the hardest way possible up Sleeping Giant. Views from the top were fabulous, looking at the Long Island sound and all the fall foliage.

The giant and i are very familiar_this is the closest thing to a mountain where i used to live_the giant was a regular hike for me and i know just about all of the trails__its a good hike to the top and the castle tops it off_there is a cave if anyone is interested in looking for it__i know where it is_and will give you directions_DEAD MANS CAVE_sounds stupid but thats the name_someone lived and died in it or so i have heard_information gets around quick living in HAMDEN ct._go explore you'll find something interesting

My brothers and I thought we were "settling" for a day of easy hiking at Sleeping Giant when our New Hampshire plans got cancelled, but we weren't expecting the Blue and White trails (ranked the most difficult in the park) to be such a workout! It was a pleasant surprise -- I don't imagine there are too many hikes in CT that offer scrambling opportunities like this one.

The park as a whole (tower, trails, picnic areas, facilities) is very well-maintained, and with so many trails of varying difficulties, it's really a great afternoon getaway for the restless Nutmegger. The day was overcast and relatively hazy, but the views were still impressive, and the ocean was visible from the southern overlooks.

I cannot remember how many times I have climbed to the Tower. Having grown up only miles from this wonderful state park, I used to ride my bike over there and hike. During my years as a track and cross country runner, I ran to the top many times as well. Interestingly enough, I have never climbed up to the head. I plan to do this route on a return trip to CT this fall to visit family who now lives even closer to the park.

Great family hike, the trails are wide and shaded in the summer. This keeps the heat down tremendously.

Route Climbed: Up the top of the head and down the neck Date Climbed: November 2001

We climbed up the steepest portion, the head. Here we had great views of the leaves. It was beautiful and surprisingly challenging. After having spent years hiking in California, returning to my home stomping grounds was invigorating. The mold was a bit much to deal with though. The wet leaves retain mold quite well, and I had forgotten that.